Doubling Down on Atmos and Audio Post: Sonic Union’s Big Bryant Park Bet

There’s no time to play catch-up.

That was the mindset behind the expansion of Sonic Union, the prolific NYC audio post facility that launched in Union Square circa 2008. The instincts of co-founders Steve Rosen, Michael Marinelli and Adam Barone proved to be right on about combining top mixing talent, sharp support staff, and welcoming amenities in a downtown location: Their facility emerged as a first choice for long list of ad agencies, content creators, editors, producers and directors needing recording, mixing, sound design, radio, casting, and other audio post services.

Fast forward a decade, and steady growth came with aches and pains. The skillsets of their expanding team of mix engineers who rose through the ranks were on fire, but they needed more than the seven studios available for them to share. Meanwhile, immersive/spatial audio formats beyond 5.1 surround had emerged, with major brands increasingly anxious about generating virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and Dolby Atmos content.

The staff at Sonic Union Bryant Park (l-r): Halle Petro, Steve Rosen, Owen Shearer, Joe O’Connell, Adam Barone, Carolyn Mandlavitz, Brian Goodheart, Michael Marinelli, and Eugene Green

Then another opportunity emerged: A longtime friendly competitor was suddenly available to become an ally. When it became apparent that the force behind the highly respected Blast sound studios, Joe O’Connell was a free agent, Sonic Union jumped at the chance to bring him into the fold. Their plan: rather than attempt a time-consuming retrofit of the Union Square rooms, invest in a whole new space built from the ground up to accommodate these new immersive audio formats.

The result: Sonic Union Bryant Park, which kills a bunch of proverbial birds with one stone. It gives them a way to join forces with O’Connell. He anchors a new four room creative space that brings three Dolby Atmos compatible rooms to NYC. Their downtown talent now has room to grow, working as one team across both locations. And they’re now much more conveniently located for a wide range of midtown clients.

“Their reputation for having a unique culture for creativity and sound was really unequaled,” said O’Connell of his decision to join Sonic Union. “This was a rare opportunity to partner with people who really understand our business, the needs of our clients and to work alongside eight other award-winning mixers in a creative, collaborative environment. Being able to work out of two great Manhattan locations is also an amazing asset for both clients and staff.”

The Bryant Park location’s ground-up build to offer these new immersive formats was every inch a strategic decision. “We weren’t really interested in doing something that both Blast and Sonic Union were already doing,” says managing director, Adam Barone. “One of the main reasons for the expansion was to be able to offer a better set of tools for our clients. Because of the size and talent of the team along with our newly built infrastructure for these immersive technologies we can actually tackle challenging, non-traditional audio projects along with our core work for television and film. New tools and applications for immersive audio are emerging daily — it’s an exciting time.”

For O’Connell, taking on Atmos has meant an opportunity to be challenged by audio all over again, making new discoveries in the process.

“The thing I’m pleasantly surprised about with Atmos is how well it downmixes to 5.1 and stereo,” he states. “That’s important, because it allows us to work in that format and develop our proficiency now, knowing we can play the mixes back in our more traditional deliverables. I’d like every mix to be an immersive experience and working in Atmos allows you to achieve that in an efficient way, even for stereo that’s played back with tiny earbuds.”

Creating and sustaining a distinctive brand in NYC audio post isn’t easy. Sonic Union has accomplished that, and now they’re rolling up their sleeves again — an endeavor O’Connell acknowledges is equal parts yin and yang. “It’s been exciting and exhausting at the same time” he laughs, “Now that we’ve crossed the finish line with the construction and we’re fully operational, I’m enjoying the return to my primary job as a mixer and sound designer, while looking towards the future.”

“We could not have accomplished building the Bryant Park location, especially in the time frame that it was completed, without an exceptional team. There was plenty of momentum from the start. Not just the partners, but the entire staff, as well as our architects and vendors, came together to create something really special. And of course, we’re fortunate to have so many loyal clients who made it all possible. We’re looking forward to what they dream up next knowing that we’re prepared to help bring their creative ideas to life.”

Studio B is a Dolby-certified Atmos mix facility, complete with a JBL monitoring system for im-mersive Atmos and conventional audio including 17 full range speakers and 2 subwoofers, laser projection screen, and latest Protools HD system. The showcase-style studio cultivates an impressive viewing atmosphere for Sonic Union and their high-profile clientele.

Studio A has the latest Pro Tools HD system, an attached isolation booth, JBL 7-series 5.1 monitoring with a Grace m906, and JBL Intonato for monitor control and room correction. The studio is fully equipped for mixing immersive audio for VR and 360-video applications, while offering a comfortable and colorful meeting space to host clients.

Studio C is also configured with the latest Pro Tools HD system, fully-attached isolation booth with an in-room entrance, JBL Intonato system configured for 5.1 surround sound, and Grace monitor controller. Flanked by two walls of windows, uninhibited sunlight naturally floods the clutter-free studio space, contributing to the office’s serene surroundings.

The Studio D project studio has Pro Tools HD and a full 5.1 Grace monitoring system with Genelec speakers, fit for mixing immersive audio for VR and 360 video. The adjacent isolation booth provides privacy with touches of office warmth, including natural lighting.

Studio B’s attached Recording Booth is a large isolation booth equipped with Sennheiser 416 Shotgun Microphone and a Peluso 22 47 LE large Diaphragm condenser microphone. The personal mixer is the Little Red Cue Box from RedCo Audio.

The front entrance offers visitors their first glimpse of the cohesive theme for the space conceived by Raya Ani of RAW-NYC, and executed with further development by project architect, Ilan Ohayon of IOAD. The origami-inspired functional finish envelops the reception desk, offside waiting area and halls leading to the studios.

Clients and employees alike can enjoy a break in the welcome area, complete with plenty of natural light and sweeping views overlooking Bryant Park. The geometric theme throughout the 5000 sq. ft. space offers dynamic meeting spaces and many scenic outposts to choose from.

The sunny kitchen and common area for Sonic Union staff and clients comes equipped with a full slate of appliances, island-style seating, a most important full bar selection, and array of snacks.

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